Mind the Body

Dr. Jim Warson, Equestrian Medicine Specialist and author of The Rider’s Pain Free Back, answers questions from riders about how they can both solve the aches and pains of riding, plus prevent them.

Dr. Warson spent his childhood summers on the family ranch in Texas, began a neurosurgery practice in 1974 and in 1978 founded Front Range Brain and Spine Surgery in Ft. Collins, CO. He has personally experienced three spinal surgeries and has performed over 5000 procedures during his career.

Answer: This happens when riders don’t stretch AFTER the ride. Next time try that and see if there’s a difference. When you stretch your muscle, you are essentially lengthening it. As you do that – up to a point – you reduce the resistance to blood flow in the muscle. In other words, stretching allows […] Read more »

Answer: Equestrian hand problems are some of the most fascinating that I encounter in Equestrian Medicine. Osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis) is the most common, followed by carpal tunnel syndrome. Rheumatoid arthritis and carpal-metacarpal arthritis bring up the rear about equally. All of these have a loss of hand, and particularly finger, flexibility. If you […] Read more »

Rider shoulder pain is usually due to a long ride. It is more common in female riders because of a lesser upper body isometric strength than male riders. The most obvious culprit is a lack of combined strength in the biceps and deltoid muscles, which hold the arm and forearm in correct position to use […] Read more »

Calendar

Join your WDACO friends as we “Celebrate the Journey of 2017” We groomed and rode with focus, and all for the fun of it! We played with our best horsey pals, and made some new ones. We pulled off our boots and patted ourselves on the back for our efforts, loving every moment – and[...]

Hello! The High Plains Dressage Society (Chapter of RMDS) is having a Youth Clinic.Open to classical dressage and Western Dressage riders! http://www.highplainsdressage.org/2018-hpds-youth-clinic/ Please join us in participating in the 2018 Youth Clinic with guest USDF Certified Instructors Joan Clay and Julie Burt. They have experience with kids of all ages and all breeds of horses[...]

Launch into summer riding with two days of clinics led by WDACO Clinicians Joyce Swanson and Cliff Swanson. Learn proper warm up for every ride, suppling and relaxing the horse. Understand how to use the Western Dressage arena to your advantage; discover how dressage tests can be a road map to being better prepared for[...]